This is a half a semester (20 Lecture) course on Special Theory of Relativity, which
revolutionized our concept of physics in the last century by unifying concept of space and
time, electricity and magnetism and mass and energy. In this course we will explore and
explain many of the (often) counter-intuitive but fundamental principles of the Special
Theory.

COURSE DETAIL

S.No

Topics and contents

Number of Lectures

1.

Inertial Frames, Universality of Newton's second law in all inertial frames,
Classical Relativity, Does universal rest (ether) exists?

1

2.

Michelson Morley Experiment.

1

3.

Postulates of Special Theory of Relativity, Concept of transformation, Galilean Transformation, Simultaneity of two events in different inertial frames of reference and its frame dependence.

1

4.

Lorentz Transformation.

1

5.

Length Contraction and Time dilation with examples.

1

6.

Velocity Transformation, Relative velocity with examples, Time like and Space Like intervals, Causality.

1

7.

Need to redefine Momentum, Vector and Four-Vectors.

1

8.

Proper time interval, Velocity and Momentum-Energy Four Vector.

1

9.

Mass-Energy Relationship, Relationship between new energy and momentum.